A Borno State High Court has sentenced Aisha Alkali Wakil, popularly known as ‘Mama Boko Haram’, and two others to ten years imprisonment each for fraud.
Presided over by Justice Umaru Fadawu, the court found Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Soyade guilty of obtaining N40m from Bashir Abubakar, the Chief Executive Officer of Duty Free Shop Ltd, under false pretence.
The trio, who were the Chief Executive Officer, Programme Manager, and Country Director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, had claimed to execute a contract for the supply of five X-ray Machines 1900 with Solar Energy, which they never did.
They were arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, March 5, 2020 on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges and the prosecution counsel, A.I Arogha, presented four witnesses and tendered seventeen exhibits to prove their case.
The judge, in his ruling on Monday, sentenced them to ten years imprisonment for each of the two counts and ordered them to pay N40m as restitution to the victim.
He also said that the prison terms would run concurrently and that any other prison terms imposed on the convicts by any court would take effect after the expiration of the current sentences.
Wakil, who is known for her mediation role between the government and the Boko Haram insurgents, and her co-defendants, had defrauded the petitioner in 2018, according to the EFCC.
